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The Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU), representing workers from Shaw and TELUS across Canada have released a statement opposing Ottawa’s wireless plans which seek to bring Verizon into the country as a fourth national wireless player.

“Tempting voters with the lure of cheaper cell phone bills seems to be Mr. Harper’s plan, but it’s a mirage. There is no guarantee of lower prices. It is a complete manipulation of the Canadian public.” says TWU National President Lee Riggs.

“Instead, Verizon will be able to easily swing into the lucrative urban markets, ignore rural communities and Canadian consumers and workers will be no further ahead,” says Riggs.

Riggs went on to say “Canadians should be gravely concerned about the potential devastating impact this type of flawed government policy can have on Canadian consumers, workers, their families and their communities.”

And the unions themselves do not speak for all their members. I’m a union member not affiliated with telecommunication at all (a public service union actually) even though our national governing bodies are standing in “solidarity” along with other unions in being against Verizon coming up here, haven’t spoken to a single member in our local, including our president, who can’t wait for Robellus to get what’s coming to them. They’ve screwed us for so long, no one is buying their PR jobs BS considering how many they themselves have screwed their own workforce with outsourcing. The union leadership should be ashamed of themselves for playing along with this ruse. At least the membership doesn’t fall for this spin.

Robbaxmann

Spoiled Rotten..Allowance cut off.

crosseyed_mofo

and the union representing telus and shaw can suck my wang

Chrome262

I love how unions force membership if you work at a place, and then don’t ask the membership what policies they should follow. How is this beneficial to the worker? Unions in this country are just spoiled bloated ticks on the work force. Sure unions in developing nations and around the world help get better work conditions and benefits, but here in a 1st world country, they just penalize the good worker and keep the bad. Make membership voluntary and see how long some of them last. Anyway this is an example of Unions doing what they want without membership input. Love oligarchies

FragilityG4

Well if a union is a opposed than we all must be wrong …

Michael Moniz

You take your chances without union protection, I’ll still opt for a collective lobbying force for my labour rights. Why should only corporate interests be able to lobby their position, and not labour? Unions are not perfect, and the leadership sometimes are tone deaf to their members, but at the end of the day, my pay, benefits and pension are proof the good far outweighs the bad. Anti-union workers complaining are just sour grapes with a crab bucket mentality(if I can’t have that, then why should you?)

K3

“Tempting voters with the lure of cheaper cell phone bills seems to be Mr. Harper’s plan, but it’s a mirage. There is no guarantee of lower prices. It is a complete manipulation of the Canadian public.” says TWU National President Lee Riggs.

???? yep no guarantee of lower prices but it is a new source of competition for the three so…..

“Instead, Verizon will be able to easily swing into the lucrative urban markets, ignore rural communities and Canadian consumers and workers will be no further ahead,” says Riggs.

???? Great to know this guy has the inside scoop, can Riggs pick my lotto number next time.

Riggs went on to say “Canadians should be gravely concerned about the potential devastating impact this type of flawed government policy can have on Canadian consumers, workers, their families and their communities.”

???? This comment rides along with the use of the American surveillance one, it’s a petty last ditch effort to sway the public away from the truth in attempt to prevent a change that will cost the future of there established monopoly here in Canada.

Even if Verizon were to set up shop but provide shitty service it still would be a disruption to the model that the Canadian wireless industry has reveled in for years.

Chrome262

They are not needed, its a ridiculous left over from a by gone era. What rights do they fight for now? Higher wages then they are skilled for so the companies they work for no longer can compete. And your pay, benefits and pension are what’s going to make sure you are laid off in the future because your Union will mismanage them. By the way, I have all those things and I am not part of a Union, I have the protection of the government. Yes thanks to Unions in the past there are laws put in place decades ago, so I don’t have to pay a bunch of fat asses now to slow down work and make sure my company fails.

K3

Shaw was supposed to be working with Rogers or are in the the middle of being purchased by Rogers weren’t they?

kkritsilas

And exactly why would this union’s opinion be meaningful?

Kostas

crosseyed_mofo

i dunno, unsure what this has to do with my wang

Michael Moniz

Yes your logic makes complete sense. Crime is down so we need less policing. They served their purpose before and criminals are getting the message so yeah that makes sense. Wah Wah Wah!!

Chrome262

Because you not getting a 3% raise every year during a recession would be a crime? It might be for you, so yes please continue with the defence of you entitlement by having unions extort that raise from the company you work for. Yeah that should help them expand and create more jobs for the rest of us. And don’t worry when your job is shipped off to China, your Union will save you then.

Michael Moniz

Usual misinformed anti-union rhetoric. 3%? I haven’t that in over a decade! The most I’ve seen is 1.9% with an average of 1.6 the last 7 years. And in my job in the public sector, fat chance of off shoring my job plus they’ve already contracted out to the limit. We run pretty lean. But again, keep spreading your anti worker info. It’s easy to sit there having benefited from others efforts and take cheap shots and claim some moral higher ground. You don’t like labour lobby’s, but ok with business ones? Well in a free country if you’re going to have one, you can damn well expect a counter. But again in a free country, it’s your right to complain about, which exercise quite well

K3

Just trying to call in back up. ????

Chrome262

LOL benefited from others efforts??? As far as I know there aren’t unions for research biologists and we haven’t benefited from anything unions have done, although it would of been nice when funding was cut lol. But to tell you the truth, I really only have two issue with Unions, the forced membership so you really have no choice, and the back room deals that some leaders have done in the past without the knowledge of the membership. Kind of like this story. Other then that, its history, has been mostly beneficial. And I apologies for arguing for the sake of arguing.

Chrome262

not sure of the purchase, but Rogers and Shaw do have multiple deals together over selling cable and internet in what markets. Pretty shady but legal.

1His_Nibs1

Well said.

1His_Nibs1

Didn’t Rogers have a deal with Shaw to purchase their unused spectrum? So I’m not overly concerned with what unions or their president/s think of Verizon potentially coming into the Canadian wireless market. As Deon Cole from Conan says during a certain comedy skit “they need to shut the hell up!” As far as I’m concerned they’re all guilty of collusion (wireless telecos/internet providers) and want to maintain the status quo. The union/s should be ashamed of getting into bed with these corporations not to mention where was their “concern” when outsourcing began? I guess as long as the president/s of these union/s were able to keep their jobs, that’s all that mattered.

Michael Moniz

Well your field definitely hasn’t benefited, buts just cause of the nature of your field so fair enough. And I’m with you on the leadership issue as far as back room deals. Also nt a fan how they try to expand to other social rights issues. Not that I’m not in favour of those issues (gay rights, native issues, etc) but labour unions should be only using their $ & influence on the one thing their members are in complete agreement with; their labour issues. This aggravates our local president to no end. Unless those social justice issues intersect with the job(say discriminated because of sexual orientation) , the union has bigger member mandated issues to deal with

As far as the forced membership issues, that’s really not valid complaint. Just like you know when you apply to work in a certain field or a certain employer, there will be certain requirements. Don’t want to be in a union? Then find a non union employer. Or find another field, like police know whatever force they union, there will be union membership. Complaining about it is like complaining about having to carry a gun; that’s what that type of employment entails. You can complain all you want, but you will be in the minority.

And no worries about the “argument”. I love a vigorous debate 😉 Not all union member are raging lefties,(I’m far from it!) but we do believe as labour we have a right to lobby our interests as do our employers.

Chrome262

And I bow to your first hand knowledge as one in a Union, seems like yours, at least your local president, seems to want to avoid the great social debates and get down to business. As for membership, there are times when you really have no choice but to take the job offered to you, and on top of swallowing that bitter pill you have to take membership. Sure there are benefits and in the long run might be a good thing, especially if you need the Union, but I still believe, possible naively, that choice is something we should have. And like everything else, if choice is there, don’t you think the Unions could be better for it? Maybe feel more accountable?